This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7769984.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Labour MPs seek to defend Speaker | Labour MPs seek to defend Speaker |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Labour ministers have rallied round the Commons Speaker after 32 MPs told the BBC that they no longer had confidence in him after the Damian Green affair. | Labour ministers have rallied round the Commons Speaker after 32 MPs told the BBC that they no longer had confidence in him after the Damian Green affair. |
| Fifty MPs said they believed Michael Martin was at fault over the Tory MP's arrest and search of his Commons office in a leaks probe. | |
| Children's secretary Ed Balls said criticism of the Speaker by Conservative MPs was "undermining" him. | Children's secretary Ed Balls said criticism of the Speaker by Conservative MPs was "undermining" him. |
| David Cameron said he "wanted to have confidence" in the Speaker's Office. | David Cameron said he "wanted to have confidence" in the Speaker's Office. |
| 'Mistakes' | 'Mistakes' |
| The Conservative leader told the BBC's Politics Show in Northern Ireland that action was needed to restore confidence in the Speaker's Office in the wake of recent events. | The Conservative leader told the BBC's Politics Show in Northern Ireland that action was needed to restore confidence in the Speaker's Office in the wake of recent events. |
| I want to have confidence in the Speaker, in the Speaker's Office. David Cameron, Conservative leader | I want to have confidence in the Speaker, in the Speaker's Office. David Cameron, Conservative leader |
| "Clearly mistakes have been made," he said. | "Clearly mistakes have been made," he said. |
| "I want to have confidence in the Speaker, in the Speaker's Office. Things need to be done to put right the situation and I know the Speaker is working hard to do that." | "I want to have confidence in the Speaker, in the Speaker's Office. Things need to be done to put right the situation and I know the Speaker is working hard to do that." |
| The Speaker remains under intense pressure ahead of Monday's debate in Parliament about the Damian Green affair and calls from three MPs, including one Labour backbencher, for him to stand down. | The Speaker remains under intense pressure ahead of Monday's debate in Parliament about the Damian Green affair and calls from three MPs, including one Labour backbencher, for him to stand down. |
| The row erupted after Mr Green, the Tory immigration spokesman, was arrested 10 days ago and held for nine hours by the Metropolitan Police, while his homes and parliamentary office were searched, as part of an inquiry into allegations of leaks from the Home Office. | The row erupted after Mr Green, the Tory immigration spokesman, was arrested 10 days ago and held for nine hours by the Metropolitan Police, while his homes and parliamentary office were searched, as part of an inquiry into allegations of leaks from the Home Office. |
| The move has provoked an outcry among MPs from all parties, who say the police action represented a fundamental breach of their right to hold the government to account. | The move has provoked an outcry among MPs from all parties, who say the police action represented a fundamental breach of their right to hold the government to account. |
| Labour ministers sprung to the Speaker's defence on Sunday while emphasising that they were speaking as individual MPs and that the government should have no influence over his position. | Labour ministers sprung to the Speaker's defence on Sunday while emphasising that they were speaking as individual MPs and that the government should have no influence over his position. |
| "Of course I have confidence in the Speaker," Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell told the Andrew Marr Show. | "Of course I have confidence in the Speaker," Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell told the Andrew Marr Show. |
| I think, in the end, the drip, drip, drip has undermined the Office of Speaker and Parliament and I don't think it does democracy any good Ed Balls, children's secretary | I think, in the end, the drip, drip, drip has undermined the Office of Speaker and Parliament and I don't think it does democracy any good Ed Balls, children's secretary |
| Housing minister Margaret Beckett said it was a "long-standing tradition" that MPs did not criticise the Speaker's Office and she urged all members to refrain from this. | Housing minister Margaret Beckett said it was a "long-standing tradition" that MPs did not criticise the Speaker's Office and she urged all members to refrain from this. |
| And Children's Secretary Ed Balls went further, accusing the Conservatives of seeking to "undermine" the Speaker. | And Children's Secretary Ed Balls went further, accusing the Conservatives of seeking to "undermine" the Speaker. |
| "I think, in the end, the drip, drip, drip has undermined the Office of Speaker and Parliament and I don't think it does democracy any good," he told the BBC's Politics Show. | "I think, in the end, the drip, drip, drip has undermined the Office of Speaker and Parliament and I don't think it does democracy any good," he told the BBC's Politics Show. |
| Asked whether Mr Cameron was "undermining" the Speaker's position by his comments, Mr Balls replied: "I think he is, yes." | Asked whether Mr Cameron was "undermining" the Speaker's position by his comments, Mr Balls replied: "I think he is, yes." |
| Earlier, Conservative home affairs spokesman Dominic Grieve said MPs did not wish to threaten Mr Martin's position. | Earlier, Conservative home affairs spokesman Dominic Grieve said MPs did not wish to threaten Mr Martin's position. |
| "But they want to see action taken to ensure this episode is never repeated," he said. | "But they want to see action taken to ensure this episode is never repeated," he said. |
| Mr Grieve said the Commons authorities had "seriously failed" to protect Mr Green in his pursuit of his legitimate parliamentary duties, describing their actions as a "complete disaster". | Mr Grieve said the Commons authorities had "seriously failed" to protect Mr Green in his pursuit of his legitimate parliamentary duties, describing their actions as a "complete disaster". |
| The Sunday Times reported that Mr Martin, who became Speaker in 2000, intended to put himself up for re-election after the next general election. | The Sunday Times reported that Mr Martin, who became Speaker in 2000, intended to put himself up for re-election after the next general election. |
| According to the paper, a spokesman for the Speaker's office said his position had not "changed" since his declaration in 2007 that he planned to stand again. | According to the paper, a spokesman for the Speaker's office said his position had not "changed" since his declaration in 2007 that he planned to stand again. |
| Mr Grieve said the issue of Mr Martin's re-election was a "matter for MPs to decide, not for the Speaker to decide". | Mr Grieve said the issue of Mr Martin's re-election was a "matter for MPs to decide, not for the Speaker to decide". |
| "He has been Speaker for quite a long period of time," he added. | "He has been Speaker for quite a long period of time," he added. |
| Mixed views | Mixed views |
| On Friday, backbencher Bob Marshall-Andrews became the first Labour MP to publicly call for Mr Martin to resign. | On Friday, backbencher Bob Marshall-Andrews became the first Labour MP to publicly call for Mr Martin to resign. |
| He said the Speaker had been guilty of "a deplorable breach of his duties to the house" and the office of an MP should be sacrosanct. | He said the Speaker had been guilty of "a deplorable breach of his duties to the house" and the office of an MP should be sacrosanct. |
| Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve says there were 'serious failures by House authorities' | Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve says there were 'serious failures by House authorities' |
| Two Conservative MPs had already called for the Speaker to stand down and a questioning of MPs for the BBC's The World This Weekend highlighted wider concerns about his position. | Two Conservative MPs had already called for the Speaker to stand down and a questioning of MPs for the BBC's The World This Weekend highlighted wider concerns about his position. |
| The programme put two questions to backbench MPs: Do you believe the Speaker was culpable in the arrest of Mr Green and the search of his Parliamentary office? And, do you still have confidence in him as Speaker? | The programme put two questions to backbench MPs: Do you believe the Speaker was culpable in the arrest of Mr Green and the search of his Parliamentary office? And, do you still have confidence in him as Speaker? |
| Of the 90 MP's who replied, 32 said they had lost confidence in the Speaker while a further 50 said they believed he was at fault. | Of the 90 MP's who replied, 32 said they had lost confidence in the Speaker while a further 50 said they believed he was at fault. |
| However, 56 said they still had confidence in him. | However, 56 said they still had confidence in him. |
| The programme said the answers showed many MPs were more unhappy as a result of his Commons statement on Wednesday than they were before. | The programme said the answers showed many MPs were more unhappy as a result of his Commons statement on Wednesday than they were before. |
| In the statement, the Speaker said one of his officials had allowed the raid by signing a consent form without consulting him and that he had not been told that the police did not have a warrant. | In the statement, the Speaker said one of his officials had allowed the raid by signing a consent form without consulting him and that he had not been told that the police did not have a warrant. |
| MP's inquiry | MP's inquiry |
| On Monday MPs will debate Parliament's response to the episode. | On Monday MPs will debate Parliament's response to the episode. |
| But opposition parties are unhappy about the motion put forward and the fact that the parliamentary inquiry into the affair will not begin until after the police investigation has finished. | But opposition parties are unhappy about the motion put forward and the fact that the parliamentary inquiry into the affair will not begin until after the police investigation has finished. |
| Mr Grieve said the Speaker's inquiry had effectively been "pushed into the long grass" and said the police should consider winding up their investigation as soon as possible as "it is going nowhere". | Mr Grieve said the Speaker's inquiry had effectively been "pushed into the long grass" and said the police should consider winding up their investigation as soon as possible as "it is going nowhere". |
| But housing minister Margaret Beckett said it was "alarming" that any politician should seek to judge the outcome of a police investigation. | But housing minister Margaret Beckett said it was "alarming" that any politician should seek to judge the outcome of a police investigation. |
| "I genuinely think this is getting close to intimidation of the police," she told Sky News. | "I genuinely think this is getting close to intimidation of the police," she told Sky News. |
| "I don't think anyone should be commenting on an inquiry in course." | "I don't think anyone should be commenting on an inquiry in course." |